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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27575452">Just Like I Told You Before</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/flashytonystark/pseuds/flashytonystark'>flashytonystark</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/violawrites/pseuds/violawrites'>violawrites</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Iron Man 1, Prequel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-08 23:34:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,186</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27575452</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/flashytonystark/pseuds/flashytonystark, https://archiveofourown.org/users/violawrites/pseuds/violawrites</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Pepper Potts/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Well, you can't blame a guy for trying. Tony said. He leaned forward, taking a sip of his water with lemon that tasted distinctly not like Scotch. Heroically, he managed to refrain from making a face.</p>
<p>"I can't lie and say I'm not a little disappointed about that, Potts." Tony admitted. "But then again I think my imagination is detailed enough that I can live without the real thing at least for a while." An intervention? Oh that was too far. "Wait, wait, wait. By intervention you mean gathering all the people who care about me together to stop me from working on cars? Because I think you and my mom might be the only people who would actually show up."</p>
<p>Tony hadn't even realized he included Pepper in the list of people who cared about him until after he'd said the words, but it was too late to take them back. The warm feel of Pepper's hand on his wasn't helping things, either. "And please, it's not my fault if humans are boring and cars aren't. You ever heard a Ferrari nag someone about not fulfilling their potential in life? Nope."</p>
<p>"Well if there is no such thing then I'll write into them and them there should be." Tony promised.</p>
<p>Tony couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when he heard Pepper say she could recite the alphabet backwards. "Oh, come on." He said, peering over the top of his sunglasses so he could get a good look at her. "You can't just say that and not expect me to make you prove it."</p>
<p>He waved his hand in front of him as if to offer her the floor, metaphorically speaking. Although it was something small like the alphabet Tony couldn't deny how it made him feel just to have Pepper voluntarily sharing it with him. Even if she did keep insisting that if was just a business lunch. He still had time to change her mind about that.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Rhodey would show up too,” Pepper said automatically, adding a third person to Tony’s list of people who cared about him. “Even he says you spend more time obsessing over cars than what can be considered healthy.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2">Lifting her hand from atop his, Pepper sat back in her chair, her spine straightening as she cleared her throat.</p>
<p class="p2">“Z, Y, X, W, V, U ,T, S, R, Q, P, O, N, M, L, K, J, I, H, G, F, E, D, C, B, A. There you go, the alphabet backwards.”</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A slight blush had a creeped its way into Pepper’s cheeks as she finished, busying herself with pushing her fries away from the puddle of ketchup at the edge of her plate. She felt silly, going out of her way to prove to Tony that she hadn’t been making something up in order to impress him. He should know by now that she wasn’t like the hundreds of women he interacted with on a weekly basis; Pepper was completely capable of impressing people on her own merits, thank you very much.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">“How else do you think I got the job at Stark anyway?” Pepper asked, picking up a fry and pointing at Tony across the table with it. “Your father was blown away by my backwards alphabet trick and hired me right on the spot. Then he asked me how many digits of pi I could recite from memory. It’s the first fifty, by the way.”</p>
<p class="p2">There was a bit of humor dancing at the corners of Pepper’s mouth as she took a bite from her burger in an attempt to keep herself from laughing. While she doubted Howard really remembered her outside of the morning’s incident involving Tony and Obadiah’s assistant (and even then she was led to believe the great Howard Stark was far too busy and important to dedicate memory to her even in that instance), she really could recite the first fifty digits of pi from memory, along with the entire periodic table and the capitals of every country in Europe.</p>
<p class="p2">That information, however, she planned on keeping to herself.</p>
<p class="p2">“When we get back to the office, I’ll go talk to a couple of people in R&amp;D, see if I can get you access back onto the floor. And then I need you to stay there and not blow anything up; Mike gave me an almost impossible deadline to meet and I need to focus on that and not putting out your literal fires, okay? I’d like to get home sometime tonight before midnight and I’d really like to stay in Mike’s good graces, even if he doesn’t do anything all day.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Tony’s lips curled up into a smile as he listened to Pepper recite the alphabet backwards. If he hadn’t known better he would have said she was trying to impress him, but knowing Pepper it was more likely that she was too stubborn to be proved wrong if she said she could do something. Tony was certainly no stranger to women trying to hold his attention, but there was something so endearing about it not happening in a bar during daylight hours that it caught him off guard.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, that was impressive, Potts. I’ll give you that. But I think we should save the digits of pi for our next date. I’m not sure my heart can take much more excitement today.” He teased. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not blow anything up?” Tony put his hand over his heart in mock hurt and looked down at her over the top of his sunglasses. “Do you really have such little faith in me? Besides, they just updated the fire extinguishers down there last month after there was an . . . incident with some welding.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony was far from thrilled with the prospect of spending actual time thinking about the issues with the Portland plant and doing real work for his father’s company, but Pepper’s point about how much his mother would approve had certainly motivated him. Maybe, he thought, it might even win him a few points with Pepper herself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mike, huh?” Tony asked around the last mouthful of his cheeseburger. He was familiar with the man, and his reputation for being a taskmaster. There was no doubt in Tony’s mind that Pepper would be more than capable of getting her work done on time, but the thought of her being pressured unnecessissaily grated on Tony. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe I’ll just have to have a word with him then and see if he can get his head out of his ass for once.” He was only half joking about using his position as the boss’ son as leverage but there was just something about Pepper that made him want to go to bat for her. Which brought him to another thought. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Speaking of which. Do you like baseball? Don’t break my heart and tell me you’re a Yankees fan.” It had been a longstanding argument in the Stark household, with Howard as a diehard Yankees fan and Tony choosing instead to root for the Dodgers.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Of course it’s impressive. </span> <span class="s2"><em>I’m</em> </span> <span class="s1">impressive,” she said, the lighthearted jest rolling easily off her tongue before she could stop it. While she and Tony were friendly enough, Pepper still had to remind herself that one, Tony was the son of her boss, and two, she was still at work despite being on her lunch break.</span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You mean business lunch,” she corrected, signaling for the waiter to bring over the check when he got the chance. “You don’t have to worry about too much excitement. Besides, who’s to say my calendar isn’t already full of business lunches with other people?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The occasional scheduled lunch date with Lucas or one of the girls from the HR department popped up a few times in her calendar, that much was true. But it was also true that Pepper spent more time than not, eating in her office, working diligently for the entire hour she was supposed to be taking a break.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I heard about the welding incident too,” she said, pushing her plate toward the center of the table. “And there’s no need to talk to Mike . . . that’s just how he is. Great guy, really intelligent, just super unrealistic about deadlines most of the time. I think this whole thing with Obadiah has him a little stressed out too, you know? It’s a lot of pressure.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Pepper shrugged at this, as if it were no big deal. And it wasn’t, at least not now. She’d been at Stark long enough to figure out exactly what she needed to do in order to balance her social life and work life. The mere mention of Mike sent her on alert, mentally trying to plan how she’d finish her work for him and everything Obadiah had dumped on the department. It was Tony and the mention of baseball that pulled her out of her mental gymnastics thought process and she scoffed at him.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Excuse me, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with rooting for the New York Yankees.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Oh, you’re impressive all right.” Tony said, peering down over the top of his sunglasses to shamelessly look Pepper up and down just as the waiter arrived at their table with the check. “There’s a couple other words I’d use for you too, but not here in public.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure, we’ll call it a business lunch if that’s what makes you feel better. I wouldn’t want Lucas to be jealous that we went on a date.” Tony says, making a gesture with his hands that was possibly supposed to symbolize generosity.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Speaking of which, I’m putting this on Howard’s credit card. I think we can get away with that since I did technically agree to do the thing with the Portland plant.” He said before addressing the waiter and slipping the credit card his way. “Garçon, Stark Industries will be footing the bill today, so feel free to give yourself a four hundred percent tip.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe it was closer to a business lunch than Tony would like to admit, but he wasn’t about to say so out loud.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you heard about the welding incident . . . not that there was one, but if you heard about it then you know I eventually got my work done and fixed the pipe that may or may not have started spewing water while I was working in there.” His shoulders shrugged noncommittally.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s so much wrong with the Yankees I don’t even know where to begin. Maybe with their pitching this season? Or the disaster that was their infield. You know, you should really let me fly you out to L.A. sometime. I’d have you converted to a Dodgers fan in no time. Box seats, privacy . . . you’ll forget all about the pinstripes by the third inning.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was on the tip of Tony’s tongue to make a comment about third base, but he refrained. “Still, Mike shouldn’t treat our brightest intern like that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m going to have to ask you to redirect your eyes up here,” Pepper paused, pointing at her face. “. . . And stop talking. Or have you forgotten I have the power of forcing you through another eight hour company sexual harassment class?”</p>
<p>There was a fine line Pepper was forced to walk when it came to Tony, especially when they were alone. The obvious flirting and innuendo laced quips weren’t new to Pepper but it usually took place behind her closed office door or in supply closets Tony just happened to wander into at the same time she was looking for a box of pens. They did not, however, usually happen in public.</p>
<p>”I doubt Lucas would be jealous of our business lunch,” she said, digging through her bag with every intention of paying for lunch. “Besides, I don’t think he’s really the jealous type.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure your mother will be happy to hear you’re taking some initiative with the Portland Plant. I’ll ask Lucas to get some numbers together for you and — I told you earlier that I’d pay! And did you really just tell our waiter to tip himself four hundred percent?”</p>
<p>Pepper usually balked at the way Tony spent money, though anymore she supposed that’s how things were for people who had more money than God.</p>
<p>”I heard about the incident, and the water leak that required shutting off the lines to half the building,” Pepper said. “For whatever reason, people — doesn’t matter what department either — are always sure to tell me anytime you get yourself into trouble. I think they see you in my office so often and have just assumed I was hired to babysit you during the work week.”</p>
<p>“Come on, walk and talk,” Pepper said as she stood up from the table once their water had returned Tony’s credit card. “I need to run off some copies before my meeting with Obadiah and I don’t want to be late.”</p>
<p>“As for a trip to LA, no. I only travel for business and baseball isn’t business. All I can say is it’s a good thing you don’t root for the Mets, even if it was only to spite your father. I’d have to find another equally clingy-yet-charming billionaire heir to work for.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Are you going to be leading that class? Because if you are then I’d hardly say eight hours of that is a punishment.” Tony responded. He’d had the threats from HR before when it came to his behavior but he wasn’t worried. He’d seen all of their videos so often that he could recite them by heart. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So, you used inappropriate language in front of your colleague. Let’s talk about that.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh? Well maybe if we gave him a reason to be jealous then we’d find out. Hey, I just realized we forgot to bring him back a doggy bag. They had shrimp scampi there, didn’t they?” He’d decided to ignore the fact that she’d once again clarified that their meeting had been nothing more than a business lunch. Pepper could say it all she wanted but Tony liked to believe that he wasn’t the only one hoping this was more than that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I absolutely told him to do that. He can treat himself.  Howard refuses to tip anyone so I figure he’ll be thrilled when he sees the bill, if he ever does.” More than likely he would simply sign the credit card bill when it came due and not worry about whether or not there was enough money to cover it. There always was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The incident that, as Pepper said, may or may not have resulted in needing to shut down the water wasn’t important. What was important was the fact that apparently people were talking. “So there’s rumors about how much time we spend together, huh? I guess they’ve gotta have something interesting to talk about.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Baseball is big business, but that can be a discussion for another time, maybe in the box.” He added. “And doesn’t it ever just get exhausting to try to be prepared for every meeting and every possible outcome? I’d bet good money you have at least three different versions of the agenda for the meeting with Stane just in case.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was teasing, really. But he </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>been in Pepper’s office often enough to know how almost annoyingly organized she was. “And you’re not gonna be late. In case you forgot, you insisted on picking the restaurant because it’s two blocks away. If Stane gives you any trouble, just saw you were with me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they approached the entrance to the building, Tony breezed past the doorman, dramatically opening it for Pepper himself, instead. “My lady.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"No, I think they've asked Martha from Human Resources to take over the sexual harassment classes and we all know how much you adore her," Pepper said, referring to the grumpy woman no one ever wanted to deal with. Even Pepper, who got along with everyone at Stark, had issues befriending the woman who was anti-birthday celebrations and grumbled about too much idle chit-chat between coworkers outside of the elevators.</p>
<p>"I really don't understand why you hate Lucas so much. He's great at his job, he's reliable and is never late. He's friends with everyone and never hesitates to help someone," she explained. Everyone liked Lucas, even Howard seemed to like him, or at least tolerate him enough to keep him on the payroll. "I think you two would get along great if you'd just try and talk to him."</p>
<p>There was no doubt that Tony and Lucas would have plenty to talk about; she was almost certain Lucas was a fan of the Dodgers and he knew how to appreciate a classic car when he saw one. The biggest difference between the two of them was where Tony lacked in morals, Lucas did not. He also didn't make it a habit of blowing holes in walls or nearly setting things and people on fire. To put it simply, Lucas was never responsible for causing a water line to burst in Stark Industries.</p>
<p>"They're not rumors," Pepper said sharply. The last thing she needed was for <em>Tony </em>to start a rumor of his own. "People just notice that you're always in my office or wandering the halls looking for me is all. Which you've really got to stop doing, it makes the other people in my department nervous. And no, it doesn't get exhausting being prepared. I like things to be structured in my life because that means I have control over them. It's actually rather stressful for me to not have my entire week planned out in advance and I'm not nearly as productive at work when that happens, so yes, I may have different versions of the agenda ready for my meeting with Stane, but that's only because he's so difficult to work with and I <em>have </em>to be ready to change direction at any moment with him."</p>
<p>Pepper hurried past Tony and into the building without a second look back at him as she glanced at her watch, taking note of the time and doing the quick mental math to see if she could stop by her office for a quick check of her email to be sure Stane hadn't changed things at the last minute.</p>
<p>"Thank you again for lunch," she said as she stopped to wait on the elevators. "You get some information to me on the Portland Plant project and I'll look at squeezing you into the next newsletter. But I've got a meeting with Obadiah to get to and a fundraiser to plan."</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Martha. Yeah, okay in that case maybe I’ll avoid it.” Tony said, a shiver involuntarily running down his spine just at thought of the woman. She’d become notorious for putting up a baby gate at the door to her office to keep any visitors out, something even Tony knew about despite trying as hard as he could to not hear about company politics at Stark. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See, all those things you just listed? That means he’s boring, and I don’t get along with people who are boring. Which reminds me, have I ever introduced you to my friend Rhodey from college?”” Tony asked, somehow ignoring the fact that Rhodey was also reliable, professional, and never hesitated to help someone in need. Then again, he was confident that Rhodey would act as his wingman around Pepper if he asked him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s no reason for it to make them nervous. I’m not like Howard who’s going to fire them for no reason if they so much as put a pencil out of line.” Tony said. He’d overheard more than a few conversations against his will at the dinner table involving his father dismissing employees for reasons that Tony couldn’t figure out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stane is nothing if not unpredictable.” He agreed with a shake of his head before the tone of his voice turned teasing. “But that’s what makes things fun. I mean, not for you but for most people.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And was she actually thanking him for lunch? Tony had opened his mouth to respond but realized that Pepper had already disappeared into the elevator, doors closing behind her. No one in his entire life had ever left him speechless and confused quite like Virginia Potts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He took a few steps forward to press the elevator call button for himself, down instead of up as Pepper had. Within seconds he was on the way down to his basement workshop. Tony reached a hand up to scratch at the scruff on his jawline that he had neglected to shave that morning, and as he stepped off the elevator again he found himself actually planning to work on the Portland project.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Any files he had gotten in the inter-office mail were of course collecting dust in his office on the sixtieth floor upstairs, but Tony didn’t need them. He knew enough to start drawing up schematics on the upgraded equipment for the factory even without it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even as he swept some of the clutter aside on his desk so he would have space to work, he told himself this was purely for fun, because he was bored and maybe a little bit because he wanted to show up Howard. But the blue mechanical pencil he grabbed reminded him a little too much of the color of a certain PR employee’s eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Was it just Pepper, or were the elevators acting slower than usual? Even when they were called to the lobby from the executive suites, the wait time was next to nothing. She supposed it had something to do with her impending meeting with Stane (something she didn’t want to be late for, for any reason) and the fact that Tony was still rambling at her side.</p><p>”No, I don’t think you’ve ever introduced me to this . . . Rhodey, but if you’re as good of friends as you say, I probably don’t want to meet Tony Stark two-point-oh.”</p><p>It was blissfully quiet in the elevator once Pepper and Tony had been separated by the stainless steel doors and she took the few seconds of peace to lean her head back against the elevator wall and just <em>breathe</em>. There was suddenly so much on her plate, on top of Tony’s Portland project that she’d have to put in the company newsletter — should he actually bother completing the necessary work.</p><p>Pepper had just enough time to stop by her office, check her email (her inbox nearly bursting with unread messages), and make it to the executive suites before Obadiah came out of his office looking for her.</p><p>”Ah, Ms. Potts. I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”</p><p>”No, not long at all,” she said, evidenced by her rosy cheeks from taking the stairs and the fact that she was already standing, not having the chance to sit down. “I have everything you requested; line item budgets, draft promotional materials, press releases. You name it, I have it.”</p><p>Obadiah continued to stand in his doorway, his large form filling most of the space as he took in the stack of folders in Pepper’s arms. An eventual smile broke out across his face and he nodded, stepping out of the way and gesturing for Pepper to enter his office.</p><p>“Before we get into all of the details and budgets, tell me more about the purpose behind this fundraiser. I want to be sure this is going to be something beneficial for SI,” he said as he took a seat on his side of the desk.</p><p>Pepper deposited the folders onto the desk and sat down herself, her expression unreadable despite the internal screaming she was doing; she’d been under the impression that the fundraiser had already been approved and that Stane simply needed to sign off on a few things before they could get started.</p><p>Unpredictability at its finest, she supposed. Just like Tony had said.</p><p>”As I’m sure you’re already aware, the intention of this fundraiser is to not only wine and dine our top donors, but to also serve as a major PR event for SI and earn charitable contributions for the Firefighters Fund,” Pepper said, easily switching gears from budget concerns to essentially re-selling the idea to Stane.</p><p>When she was finished, Obadiah opened his mouth to say something before she swiftly cut him off.</p><p>”Oh, and this is designed to be an annual fundraiser. I know we already receive large contributions at other events throughout the year and there’s a concern regarding donation fatigue with the company donors, but such a fundraiser will always provide SI with positive publicity that could easily bury any uncertainty or negative press happening at the time. Who would want to say anything bad about the company raising millions of dollars for some of FDNY’s finest?”</p><p>Pepper leaned back in her seat, almost certain — but not completely — that she’d convinced Obadiah even more than the first time the idea had been pitched.</p><p>”Alright, Ms. Potts, I think you’re onto something with this. Why don’t you leave these things with me and I’ll look over them this weekend,” he said, reaching a hand out and sliding the stack of folders toward him. “I’ll gather some SI staff and put them on a team for this fundraiser. They’ll help with planning and will report to you directly. I’m sure there’s someone running around here with nothing to do.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Tony had of course remembered the specifications of the Portland Plant from memory. The blueprints and map of the factory had been sitting on Hpward’s desk the week before when Tony had been tricked into a meeting there only to have to sit through a half hour lecture on how he wasn’t living up to his potential.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Of course I’m not living up to my potential</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You’re keeping me here against my will instead of just letting me go work on the Camaro</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Needless to say he’d spent more time staring at the factory plans that had been on Howard’s desk than actually listening to what Howard himself was saying. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Which is why it had only taken him an hour or so to draw up the new plans for the factory. All it had really taken was making the five machines that filled the floor of the plant each thirty-one percent faster as well as using less energy; child’s play for someone with a mechanical engineering degree from MIT.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony glanced at his watch, somewhat startled to realize it was only 2:00. He stretched his neck, considering going up to Pepper’s office right to deliver the plans. Considering they hadn’t seen each other in the hour since they’d come back from lunch and surely by now she’d miss him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But at the same time he didn’t want to give the impression that he was anything close to an efficient or competent employee of Stark Industries by turning his work in too early. That would only lead to more work. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He tried to distract himself, he really did. But after yet another hour of waiting and not being able to focus on the engine he’d been tinkering with he gave up. Tony realized that he wanted to see what Pepper thought of his ideas, whether she’d approve.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wiping </span>
  <em>
    <span>most</span>
  </em>
  <span> of the grease off his hands, he grabbed the few papers on the desk that he’d spent part of the afternoon working on and headed out of the workshop towards the elevator. Tony could only assume that Pepper’s meeting with Stane would be finished and she would be back in her office by the time he got there. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony stepped in the elevator, pressing the button for seventeen before moving to lean casually against the back. He knew it was going to be a long ride up from the workshop in the sub-basement, but his patience seemed to grow thinner with each of the first few floors until it slowed completely at the lobby level. A groan escaped Tony’s lips at the delay, but it was nothing compared to the frustration he felt when he saw who was waiting on the other side of the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tony.” Obadiah said, immediately coming to clap a hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “Just the person I’ve been wanting to see.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>With the assurance from Obadiah that he’d make sure to pull together a solid team of staff to help with the fundraiser, Pepper left his office feeling better than she had earlier in the day. He’d taken down the names of the people she suggested would be a good fit to help her on the project, seemingly pleased she’d put forth so much extra work beyond what had been expected of her.</p>
<p>As if Pepper ever did just the bare minimum.</p>
<p>Having now received Obadiah’s final blessing to move forward, Pepper mentally planned her next steps for the coming days as she took the elevator back down to her office.</p>
<p>She’d need to finalize the date, secure a location, and contact the catering company Stark used for all of its black tie events. She’d need to reach out to the Starks too, of course. Tony was out of the question, knowing full well he’d purposely forget to mention it to his mother, and Howard had other more pressing matters to attend to.</p>
<p>Maria Stark, then. Pepper should easily be able to get Maria’s email address and set up a time for them to meet and discuss the fundraiser. From what she knew of the Stark matriarch, this was exactly the type of fundraiser she loved to promote; with her support, there was no way Obadiah would push too much against Pepper’s decisions.</p>
<p>Back in her office — which she thoroughly checked for any signs of Tony being nearby before entering — Pepper sat down at her desk and began scribbling down reminders and ideas in the margins of her calendar. There were other more pressing matters she needed to attend to besides the fundraiser, but she wanted to get her thoughts down on paper first.</p>
<p>With her office phone cradled between her ear and shoulder, Pepper waited for HR to answer her call as she went back to the press release she’d been working on before Tony had caused a scene in Obadiah’s office all because she’d promised to go to lunch with him if he delivered some paperwork.</p>
<p>”Marjorie? It’s Pepper. Could you by chance get me Maria Stark’s email address? I need to touch base with her on an upcoming fundraiser,” she said, writing the email address down on a post-it note and sticking it to her computer monitor.</p>
<p>”Oh, and you haven’t seen Tony have you?”</p>
<p>”Not since he stopped by this morning,” the other woman said. Pepper could hear the faint clicking of the keys on the other end of the phone.</p>
<p>”Thanks again, Marjorie.”</p>
<p>Pepper hung up her phone and slid back, glancing underneath her desk, half expecting Tony to pop out in surprise. It was rather unlike him not to be cause havoc in her office in the middle of the afternoon, but she wasn’t going to complain too much about the quiet. </p>
<p>Maybe he really was working on the Portland plant project like he said he would. Either way, he was out of her hair and bothering someone else. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Well, you’ve seen me.” Tony said, his mind warring between subjecting himself to dealing with Obadiah in the elevator, or getting off in the lobby and walking up the stairs to the thirty-seventh floor to Pepper’s office. It was Stane’s vice-like grip that ultimately made the decision for him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Always the sly one.” Stane said with a chuckle while his free hand reached out to the bank of buttons to push the 37. “I just heard about a new fundraiser that Stark is having next month and you, son, would be the perfect person to help with what I have in mind.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Barely resisting the urge to groan, Tony instead raised an eyebrow at the older man, which he clearly took as a sign to continue. “I need someone to be the face of this event. You know, someone who can really get out there and promote it and how important charity is to this company.” By the tone of Obadiah’s voice Tony knew it wasn’t going to be easy to find a way out of this. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do have a great face.” Tony responded, trying to soften Obadiah up for the inevitable blow. “But I think my face is more of a ‘Just launched a new Stark Vodka’ kind of face. You know who would be great at this? My mom. She’s got the whole foundation thing going already, and I was actually on my way to . . .”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nonsense.” Obadiah cut him off. The elevator dinged again, this time mercifully opening on the thirty-seventh floor. “In fact, the employee who came up with the idea is so eager to get started that I told her I would personally find her people to help her with it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony’s mind was working a mile a minute. He’d already finished the plans for the Portland plant in a few hours and now he was being asked to contribute more to the company? He opened his mouth to say as much to Obadiah but the two of them had come to a stop in front of a closed office door that had </span>
  <b>
    <em>Virginia Potts, PR</em>
  </b>
  <span> printed on the sign.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course. Tony could have kicked himself for not putting it together sooner - Pepper’s meeting with Stane was about planning this fundraiser. Stane knocked twice before letting himself in, which Tony supposed was a perk of being one of the most powerful people at Stark.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, there’s Miss Potts.” He said, a smile forming on Stane’s lips. “Tony, I’d like you to meet Pepper Potts. She’s the one you’re going to be helping with the Fireman’s fundraiser. I want you working closely with her. And Pepper, don’t be afraid to take advantage of Tony. He’s here for whatever you need.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Two knocks and the twist of her door handle — the signature Obadiah Stane entrance into any room or office. Pepper had picked up on it quickly in her first few days at Stark and was always sure to look alert as Stane entered.</p>
<p><em>What could he possibly want now</em>? Pepper thought to herself as she corrected her posture from her previous slump over her calendar. She’d been in his office only twenty minutes before and had asked her a million and one questions then; there was no possible way he could have more.</p>
<p>Even more surprising than Obadiah’s visit was who trailed in behind him. Tony looked rather annoyed as he dragged himself into her office ( surprising, considering how often he took it upon himself to grace her with his presence ) and before she could speak, Obadiah was already introducing the two of them.</p>
<p>”Oh no, Tony and I already —.”</p>
<p>Pepper stopped, the words dying in her throat as Obadiah breezed right past what she was saying to finish the formal introduction and explain why he was already back in her office.</p>
<p>The absolute <em>last</em> person Pepper wanted helping on the fundraiser project was Tony. She’d been hoping for Lucas — well, not specifically Lucas as she knew he was far too busy working directly for Howard — but someone <em>like </em>Lucas. Someone who cared about the company and appearances and putting on a fundraiser that would hopefully pull in tens of thousands of dollars in its first year. </p>
<p>Tony Stark was not that person. He hated the company, so much so that he always instead he’d never take over once his father stepped down. Appearances were the least of his worries ( as indicated by how often he found himself on the cover of the Enquirer ) and Pepper couldn’t imagine him wanting to actually help on the fundraiser project, regardless of who it would benefit in the end.</p>
<p>”I’m leaving you good, very capable hands, Tony,” Obadiah said with a clap to Tony’s back. “Ms. Potts, you come find me if you need anything else. I’ll gather a few other employees to help you out and email you their names.”</p>
<p>And with that, Obadiah was gone, not bothering to close Pepper’s office door despite it behind closed when he originally entered. Pepper was too dumbstruck in that moment to get up and do anything about it.</p>
<p>”What did you do?” she asked, closing her calendar a bit harder than necessary. “You said you were going to work on a project for <em>your</em> <em>dad</em>. Don’t tell me you screwed that up already and got stuck on the fundraiser project.”</p>
<p>Something told Pepper she was now stuck with Tony’s help and she supposes if nothing else, he could run copies for her. He would be hard pressed to ruin that.</p>
<p>A chime sound came from Pepper’s computer speakers, indicating a new email, and she sighed as she opened her inbox.</p>
<p>”Oh, how nice. Your mother just got back with me and said she’d be delighted to help promote such an event. She’d like to . . . have me over for dinner on Friday to discuss planning strategies.”</p>
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